Iran says to attend Geneva II without accepting preconditions

TEHRAN, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Iran will participate in the upcoming Geneva II conference on Syria without accepting the 2012 Geneva communique, a top Iranian lawmaker was quoted as saying by Press TV on Monday.

The Chairman of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of Iran's Majlis (parliament) Alaeddin Boroujerdi referred to a UN invitation to Iran to participate in this week's Syria peace conference in Geneva, saying that the invitation shows they have realized the fact that the event will be a non-starter without Iran's presence.

"Insisting that Iran won't accept any preconditions, it is expected to attend the upcoming Geneva talks at a high-level to help the Syrian government and nation get rid of the crisis imposed on the country," Boroujerdi was quoted as saying.

Amir-Abdollahian declined to comment on whether Tehran will attend the conference, according to Press TV.

The United States said Sunday that a UN invitation to Iran to participate in this week's Syria peace conference in Geneva should be rescinded unless Tehran "fully and publicly" accepts the Geneva I communique.

The invitation should be withdrawn unless Tehran publicly states its support for the full implementation of the Geneva I communique signed in 2012, which agreed to establish a transitional governing body in Syria, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement.

UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Sunday that he had invited Iran to attend this week's Syria peace conference in Switzerland, also known as Geneva II.

"I have decided to issue some additional invitations to the one-day gathering in Montreux. They are: Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Greece, the Holy See, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, the Republic of Korea, and Iran," Ban told reporters here at a press conference. Full story

UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Saturday welcomed the Syrian opposition's agreement to take part in next week's international conference in Switzerland to seek an end to Syria conflict.

In a statement issued here by his spokesperson, Ban said the decision was "a courageous and historic step in the interest of a negotiated political solution to a three-year conflict that has caused so much misery and destruction." Full story

DAMASCUS, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- The countdown for the International Geneva II conference on the Syrian crisis has begun, as Syrian analysts deem it as the beginning of a solution despite the low expectations by the domestic opposition groups.

Elias Murad, president of the Union of Journalists of Syria, told reporters on Saturday that the Geneva II conference has become an international demand more than a Syrian one. Full story